I've had a fire going steadily in my Hitzer 30-95 for a few weeks now. Burning fine, but I am getting a buildup of yellow/brown crust on the hopper lid (bottom side of course). It puts off a nasty sulfor odor when I open the door to reload. Just wondering if this is normal, and do you just wire-brush it once in a while?I have been burning Superior nut in it.

Does your 30-95 have a barometric damper installed? Are you opening the ashpan door before you open the hopper lid? to rev-up the fire and increase draft? It may just be trapped exhaust gasses, or too low draft.. How tall is your chimney, and have you ever used a manometer to check the draft??

Once in a while , I'll get that crusty buildup too. But it doesn't have any sulfer odor to it. At least not that I recall. Simply scrape off the buildup if it bothers. I would guess the sulfer smell is due to having another door , or draft open at the same time you have the hopper door open. Rule of thumb; "One openning at a time".

I just went over to my 30-95 and opened the hopper door. By golly it does have a tan crust on it. The crust does smell like sulpher. I sometimes smell sulpher when I open the door and some times not. I think what I have been smelling is escaping gas. The door itself doesn't smell all that strong. I don't worry about it. The smell just triggers a feeling of cozy warmth I associate with my Hitzer.